Apples to Apples
by Dawnheart98
Summary: A young Applejack starts school as a first year, and is thrown into a whirlwind of new experiences. Some leave her questioning who she really is, which takes her farther away from getting her cutie mark! Will Applejack find and accept her true self?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A pony woke up in her bed with a loud yawn, blinking open her olive green eyes. Warm sunlight streamed through the window, warming her fuzzy, light orange coat. She hopped out of bed, and began her morning routine of brushing her teeth, combing her mane and tail, and securing the ends of both with red rubber bands. She skipped down the stairs and feeling excitement rushing through her tiny body, her tail and mane streaming out behind her. She got to the bottom of the stairs, and took a few more steps to enter the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mama, good morning, Papa!" she greeted her parents. Two grown ponies turned to look at her. One was a beautiful blonde mare, with a lush golden mane, and large, hazelnut-brown eyes, fringed with long, dark lashes. She was at the stove, a kettle steaming, and a pan with milk boiling. Her cutie mark was a small pink apple. The stallion had a dark orange coat, and a lighter orange color for his mane and tail. His cutie mark was a large dark red apple.

"Good morning, precious," the blonde mare said in a pretty Southern drawl. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yup, as always, ma'am!" the young pony replied. "What are we eating for breakfast?"

"Your breakfast is on the table, Applejack," the red stallion replied. "Oat cereal with apple slices."

"Okay." Applejack went to the wooden table and sat down. Her older brother, Big Macintosh, was nibbling on some whole wheat bread, with some apple butter spread on it.

"Good morning," the large, crimson pony mumbled through his toast.

"Good morning," Applejack replied to her older brother.

"Are you ready for your first day of school?" Applejack's mother asked, pouring the boiled milk into a glass, adding a straw, then handing it to Applejack. Applejack gleefully took the milk and took large sips from it.

"Oh, yes, ma'am!" Applejack exclaimed. "I can't wait to start!"

"That's the spirit, Applejack," her father praised her. "Well done."

"I wonder if I'll get my cutie mark this year!" Applejack said, a little in awe. She glanced at her brother, eying his half-green apple with envy. "I wonder what it will be."

"You'll get your cutie mark when the time is right." Her mother reassured her with a flick of her tail.

"As soon as you realize the aspects of who you are, you will get your cutie mark." Her father said with a curt nod.

"But I know who I am!" Applejack said with her head cocked. "I'm Applejack!"

Her mother chuckled. "Of course you are, my sweet apple seed! Now, you and Macky better start heading to school!

"Better to get their bright and early, than not." Her father said, from his large red chair in the living room. He had immersed himself in reading daily newspaper, _The Pony Express_.

"You might even make some new friends," her mother added.

"Are you ready?" Big Macintosh asked, already at the door with his dark brown backpack.

Applejack quaffed the rest of her milk, and her mother helped her into her new shiny red backpack, which held a new notebook, folder, and a pencil, as well as her lunchbox (also new and red) which contained her delicious homemade midday meal. Applejack's mother nuzzled her in farewell, and Applejack and Big Mac went out the door and headed towards town. Applejack heart soared as she skipped alongside her older brother. She couldn't wait to see all the different ponies and make tons of new friends. She knew she would learn so much, and she would tell everything to her parents. She glanced up at her older brother, who was dazedly chewing on a long wheat stalk. She turned back ahead, seeing many other ponies of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, collecting in front of a huge building. There were huge words on the building, she knew, but she didn't know what they said, yet. She wanted to ask her brother, but he was already looking down on her, and speaking.

"Right before school starts, Mrs. Ponysworth will call for all the new first years," he said. "You make sure you go to her, you hear? You don't want to be getting lost on the first day, now, do you?"

Applejack shook her head reverently. "I won't, Big Macintosh!"

Big Macky nodded with satisfaction. "Good," he said. "Now, you have a good day, now, okay? We'll walk home together after school."

"Okay! Bye!" Applejack called, as her brother galloped away into the crowd. She tried to watch him through the crowd, but she lost him. She supposed he had friends in his own year. Speaking of friends, she thought, she might try to find some ponies in her year! She looked around curiously, trotting along, hoping to find some ponies not already locked in conversation. She didn't want to be rude, and interrupt. There were so many different ponies, some with unicorn horns, some with Pegasus wings, some normal ponies like her. They were all different colors, and their manes were all different. Applejack was overwhelmed, but in an entirely good way. She knew nothing had really happened yet, but what was to complain about? It was going pretty well!


	2. Chapter 2

Apples to Apples

By Sai Naidu

Applejack was still looking around for a pony to meet, but someone found her first.

"Hi, there!"

Applejack looked around, then looked up to see two tall ponies. She smiled up at them.

"Hi!"

"Are you a first year?" asked one of the ponies. She had a light tan coat, and her mane was streaked with all the colors of the rainbow. Her spiky bangs fell over her large light blue eyes. She had two lighter tan Pegasus wings which Applejack thought were gorgeous.

"Yes, I am," Applejack replied respectfully.

"We're eighth years," said the other pony. She was a pony with a dusty brown coat. Her mane was streaked with cinnamon and wheat colored stripes. She had a darker brown unicorn horn sprouting from through her thick mane. Applejack looked on in awe.

"We are helping in rounding up the new first years, so to speak," the first pony said. "I'm Lucky Charm, by the way."

"I'm Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But you can call my Cindy." The other pony smiled.

"Oh, I thank you kindly!" Applejack exclaimed. "I'm Applejack."

"Pleased to meet you, Applejack," Cindy smiled. "You sure are a cutie!"

Speaking of cutie….Lucky Charm's cutie mark was a rainbow in between many stars. Cindy's mark was a cinnamon roll.

"I think I see some first years already gathering," Lucky Charm said from several feet up in the air, her wings flapping majestically. She tossed her mane to one side, then landed down again.

"Whoa!" Applejack couldn't hold back her excitement.

Lucky Charm fluttered her wings a little. "What?" she asked, her eyes cast sideways. "It's nothing."

"Uh, huh," Cindy said with an eye roll. She turned to Applejack. "Anyway, come on, we'll show you there."

"Thank you." Applejack said, as she followed the two older ponies through the crowd. As they passed, Lucky Charm and Cindy said hi to many other ponies. They all looked way older than Applejack, maybe they were eighth years like Lucky Charm and Cindy? Many of them awed, and oo'ed at Applejack as she followed behind the two older ponies with a ducked head in embarrassment. She knew that no-pony was making fun of her, but still, she wasn't used to all the ultra-lavished attention.

"Hey, LC, who is that newbie?" some-pony called out. Lucky Charm turned her head, flicking her bangs as she did.

"Hey, Silver Star Rivers!" Lucky Charm called. "This is Applejack. First year."

"I can tell!" the pony Silver Stream Rivers trotted up to them. She was a dark gray unicorn, with a silver, black, white, and gray streaked mane and tail. Lucky Charm and Cindy had stopped, and Applejack patiently waited as they talked amongst themselves.

"So, how have you been, S.S. Rivers?" Cindy asked with a laugh.

"Great!" Silver Star Rivers replied. "How've you and LC been?"

"Busy," Lucky Charms sighed. "But it's all good fun."

Suddenly, a loud, voice called out, "Last call for all first years! Last call for all first years!"

Cindy and Lucky Charm exchanged shocked glances.

"Oh, my gosh, we are late! So sorry, Silver," Lucky Charm said a little sadly.

"You best be apologizin' to your little first year, LC," Silver Star said, with a look at Applejack. "See you around, first year," she said, as she trotted away.

Applejack remembered her parents telling her not to be late on her first day. She hated relying on other people to help her—she didn't want to inconvenience others, and she liked feeling of doing things herself.

"Okay, let's hurry," Lucky Charm said, a little stiffly. She took off at a brisk canter, and Applejack had to sprint to keep up with Lucky's long strides.

"Hi, Mrs. Ponysworth!" Lucky Charm smiled angelically at the old pony. Mrs. Ponysworth was indeed an old pony—her orange eyes were watery, and her coat, with orange and white splotches, was growing dull. She had an orange unicorn horn in the middle of her thin mane. Applejack composed herself and tried to appear as respectful as possible. She loved old ponies, but mean ponies scared her. She loved her old Granny Smith, but she was a whole different story.…

"Why, hello, girls, who do we have here?" Mrs. Ponysworth said in a high pitched neigh.

"It's Lucky and Cindy!" Cindy exclaimed."

"She meant the new pony, doofus," some-pony called out from faraway. Cindy narrowed her eyes, spotting the offender. She muttered a name under her breath, but Applejack didn't hear. Of course, Applejack wouldn't want to eavesdrop anyway.

"This is Applejack," Lucky Charm introduced Applejack to Mrs. Ponysworth.

"Get in line, with the ponies, please," Mrs. Ponysworth said in a bored voice.

"Huh?" Applejack asked. "Aren't we all ponies?"

"Yes, but some ponies are special, such as they have unicorn horns, or Pegasus wings," Mrs. Ponysworth said, "such as Lucky Charm and Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

Both older ponies stood straighter, ruffling their manes.

"Okay, ma'am," Applejack answered Mrs. Ponysworth, and turned around, sliding into the pony line.

"Hey, like, watch it!" some-pony snarled.

Applejack jumped back in surprise. It was a young pony, about Applejack's age, with a light purple coat, curly turquoise-and-purple mane, and glaring turquoise eyes, outlined in black, eyelashes thickened, and light green shades above her eyes. There was another pony right behind her, with a sky blue coat, royal purple and turquoise mane, and light purple eyes, decorated in the same way.

"Don't you, like, know anything?" the second pony asked in a disparaging tone.

"You can't, like, just get in front of _us_," the first pony sniffed. "Get in the, like, back of the line!"

"You, like, deserve that place," the second pony said with animosity.

Applejack widened her eyes in hurt. She spun around and galloped away. _Well, then_, Applejack thought in optimism, _I guess I'm not being friends with them!_

"Hey, you, come 'ere!"

Applejack located the voice, and trotted towards it. It was a light blue Pegasus pony with a rainbow colored mane. She had bright blue eyes, and a bold smile.

"You don't want to get involved with those girls. They are such losers," the pony said.

"Really? Them?" Applejack asked. "They think they rule the school!"

"Right," the blue pony said. "_Think_."

"Well, what are their names?" Applejack asked.

"The purple one is Lavender," the blue pony said. "The blue one is Turquoise."

"Lavender and Turquoise," Appljack repeated. "Those are mighty fine names."

The blue pony snorted. "Really? They are really boring, to me."

"Hey…" Applejack said slowly. "You are a Pegasus pony! Why are you in the Earth pony line…"

The blue pony snorted again. "Really? Rules? Who cares about those?"

Then the blue pony looked up to see the old pony, Mrs. Ponysworth, trotting down the lines with a scowl on her face. "Gotta dash," the blue pony said. "See ya!"

And quicker than lightning, the Pegasus pony sped away, sending behind a whoosh of cool air that blew Applejack's hair back.

"Isn't that pony something?"

Applejack turned around to see another pony behind her.

"I'm Stella," the pony said. This pony was midnight black, with a bright yellow mane that fell around her pink eyes. "What's your name?

"Yeah, really," Applejack said. "I'm Applejack."

"Nice name," Stella smiled. "But Rainbowdash is right. You are really better off without _those_ ponies."

"Who?" Applejack asked, tilting her head.

"My dear Stella means Lavender and Turquoise," a new voice said from behind. Applejack turned around again and saw another pony yet again. _At least I'm meeting new ponies, _Applejack thought in delight.

"But of course, any-pony who wants to be any-pony is going to want to be friends with Lavender and Turquoise." The pony who spoke was a light green pony, with a pink and yellow streaked mane. It was straight and sleek. The pony's eyes were decorated in the same way as Lavender's and Turquoise's except for the fact that her eye-shade was light purple.

"Really?" Applejack asked. "Now, why is that?"

"Uh, obviously! Are you completely unaware of the system here?" the pony asked.

"I guess so," Applejack replied modestly. "I'm new here."

"Well, obviously!" the new pony exclaimed. "You are going to have to get a new demeanor, decorum, attitude, aiii!" she shrieked, "everything!"

"Now, really, Fern Fiona," Stella said, disapprovingly. "Is that any way to treat a new pony?"

"Oh, yes!" Fern Fiona cried. "I am _helping_ you, darling!"

"Um, Fern Fiona," Applejack relied, cautiously, "I do appreciate the offer, but I'm sure I won't be needing any of your help."

"OH, for goodness gracious!" Fern Fiona cried. "Whatever shall we do with you, darling?"

Wow, this pony is really over-dramatic, Applejack thought, with an arched eyebrow. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then."

"Uh, yes, of course you will! We will probably be in all of your classes…" Stella laughed.

"Oh, this is all the better!" Fern Fiona cried again.

Applejack sighed, holding back a scowl. _I can't believe this…Is this pony for real?_

"Ponies, can you please hurry up?" Mrs. Ponysworth cried, her voice a great difference from all the young ponies Applejack had been hearing for a while now. "And stop all this nonsense!" Mrs. Ponysworth yelled.

"Oops, we'd better get going!" Stella said.

"Oh, yes, we must be leaving now! We wouldn't want to be late, of all things! Oh, good gracious! Noooo!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. Well, at least she was meeting different kinds of ponies. She smiled, and trotted after her two new friends. Maybe she would get used to Fern Fiona's ways. They might even become best friends! Applejack smiled at the thought, and prepared herself to start the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Applejack and the other ponies were led by Mrs. Ponysworth down new-looking, fresh-smelling, brightly painted hallways, with many doors on either side. They passed a pink hallway, a blue hallway, a green one, a purple one, and even an orange one. There was a plaid one, a polka dotted one, and a zig-zag one. Applejack got put in the yellow hallway, along with two other ponies Applejack hadn't met. She looked at the teacher, who was a magnificent dark tan pony with a dark chestnut mane, with lighter brown streaks. She had large light brown eyes and a kind smile. Her cutie mark was a frilly bright orange dress.

"Hello, children, please sit down!" her voice has a thick accent, one Applejack had never heard before. But she was kind and smiling, and Applejack felt lucky to have a teacher that seemed cool already.

"Have fun, children, and be good," Mrs. Ponysworth stressed the last command harshly, and Applejack nodded sincerely, while the other ponies ducked or shivered in fright.

"Take a seat," the brown-coated pony said.

Applejack sat down at a small brown desk, in between two ponies: one yellow one, and one light pink one. The yellow pony had a bushy, curly white mane, and the light pink pony had a long, choppy lavender mane.

"Hello, class, how are you doing?" the teacher-pony smiled at the class, returning to her desk in front of the blackboard.

"Good," some-pony replied from the back of the class. "How are you?"

"Good, why, thank you!" the teacher-pony said in delight. "I am Mrs. Felicia, every-pony, your teacher for this year. And what is your name, there in the back?"

"I'm Starfly." Every-pony turned back to see a bright white pony, with a black and white striped mane, that fell over her yellow eyes casually. She smiled back at everyone, waving a hoof. "Sup?"

"Sup?" Applejack asked. "We've just had breakfast!"

"Not sup-_per_!" a pony cried behind her. "_What's_ up?"

"The ceiling, of course," Applejack replied indignantly. Many ponies chuckled, and Mrs. Felicia called the class back to attention.

"Class, please! Let's all start by giving our names, one thing we already like to do in our free time, and one thing we'd like to do this year!"

"What?" There were many indignant cries much like that one throughout the room. "That's so hard! Some of us don't have our cutie marks yet, so how are we supposed to know what we like to do? We are so little, we can't answer such a hard question!"

"Yes, you can, children!" Mrs. Felicia cried passionately. "I asked you this because I believe in you, that you can look into your hearts and tell us what you are feeling right this second! Now, let's start with Starfly's rows, over to the left. Yes, you!"

Every-pony in the room said their name, and answered the questions, some-ponies having very difficult times coming up with things, and others, breezing through them. Applejack was glad she was sitting more towards the middle. That way, she had more time to think of an answer.

"I'm Sunburst," the yellow pony beside Applejack said, and Applejack turned to look at her. She admired her bright orange eyes, and confident attitude. "I guess I like to play outside a lot, and I'd like to learn to play soccer this year!"

"Very nice, Sunburst!" Mrs. Felicia praised. "That's a great goal to have! I used to play soccer when I was just a young foal."

"Mrs. Felicia…" a quiet voice asked from the other side of the room. "What's a goal?"

"Well, what do you think class? Any thoughts?" Mrs. Felicia turned back to the ponies, turning the question to them.

Starfly raised a hoof.

Mrs. Felicia scanned the room, finally getting to the back."Yes, Starfly."

"A goal is the thing with two net posts and a net in between where you kick the ball into soccer. There, I just taught you a little something, Sunburst," Starfly said with a smug smile.

"You are right about soccer, but not about the goal that I am speaking of," Mrs. Felicia said. "Anyone else?"

No one else raised a hoof.

"A goal is something that you'd like to achieve. For example, Sunburst wants to learn to play soccer." Mrs. Felicia turned to Applejack. "Your turn. What's your name? And what do you like to do, and what's your goal this year?"

"I'm Applejack," Applejack said, feeling her heart race with happiness. "I like to help my family pick apples, and I'd like to make a lot of new friends this year."

"Well, we have the social butterfly, here!" Mrs. Felicia said. "Nice, Applejack."

"But she's a pony," some-pony muttered. "We are all ponies."

"Let's not talk while others are talking," Mrs. Felicia chided gently. "Now, let's go on, please. You, there, you're next."

Finally, every-pony said their names, and Applejack was trying as hard as she ever did to remember them all. Juniper, Lacey, Kaya, Umbro, Windy Flight…

"Now, isn't that wonderful?" Mrs. Felicia smiled. "I'm so delighted to have all of you beautiful, smart ponies in my class this year! Our first class of the day will be homeroom, where you will sit down and get ready for the day. Your classes will consist of Reading, where we will learn all about Pony Literature, Mathematics, which is very important in life, and Writing, where you learn to write Pony Literature. And of course, we will have snack time, morning recess, lunch evening recess, Special Classes, like music, dance, and art, and lastly, Assemble and Reflection time, or AAR. This is when the school principal, Mrs. Gullyhoof, will talk to the whole school about their day, things to think about, and possibly a preview of tomorrow!"

"Wow, that's a whole lotta things for us to remember," Applejack said in a small voice. She was excited about all her classes and recess of course. She would meet so many new ponies throughout the day! Snack time sounded really good too. She wondered whether there would be apples.

"Don't worry!" Mrs. Felicia assured them. "There will always be an adult-pony around to help you get to your classes! Even the older ponies will be glad to help you."

"It's true," Applejack said. "I met two eighth year ponies this here mornin'. They were plum right nice to me and helped me find Mrs. Ponysworth."

"Ugh, Mrs. Ponysworth," some-pony whispered behind Applejack. "My older sister said that pony was evil!"

"And my sister says all the eighth years are stuck up."

"Foals, and colts, please, no talking during class," Mrs. Felicia said. "There's a time and place for everything. Now, Applejack, we all appreciate your comment, but remember to raise your hand before you speak. That way we conduct the classroom conversation in a respectful way."

"Sorry, ma'am," Applejack muttered, slumping in her seat. Wow, she was relay embarrassed. Already she messed up.

"It's fine, Applejack, everyone makes mistakes," a pony whispered in her ear. It was Sunburst.

"Thanks," Applejack whispered back.

"Okay, now, ahhh –"Mrs. Felicia let out a cry of surprise, when she was bombarded with scrolls falling out of a pink smoke onto her desk, and onto her.

"Whoa! That's so cool! How did that happen? Amazing!" the class exclaimed at the sight of it.

"Now, children, not to be alarmed," Mrs. Felicia said, getting up on her hooves. "It's just the new communications system…I'm not quite used to it yet! We just got it new this year. Aren't you foals and colts lucky?"

"Yes," someone replied.

"Very nice." Mrs. Felicia said. "Now, ahh, looky here! Wonderful! These are your schedules, young ponies! They will tell you where to go."

"Wait, so we all aren't going to the same class?" one pony asked, exchanging anguished glances with the pony beside her.

"Not at all," Mrs. Felicia said. "Yes, one or two of your homeroom classmates may be with you but the whole idea is to get out and make exponential numbers of new friends!"

"Exponential?" a pony asked.

"You'll learn that in later mathematics," Mrs. Felicia replied.

Wow, tons of new friends! Applejack thought in delight. This is going to be so fun, and amazing! Think of all the new friends I'll have after this…

"Now, I'll call your name and you will come to my desk and pick up your schedule." Mrs. Felicia said. Mrs. Felicia looked down and picked up the first scroll. "Applejack?"

Applejack got up from her seat, and walked towards Mrs. Felicia's desk. Mrs. Felicia handed her the scroll, then looked down at the next scroll. "Crystal Light?"

Applejack returned to her desk, and opened her scroll. In swirly, almost unreadable script, her name was writing at the top: 'Applejack', along with other information: 'Homeroom Teacher: Mrs. Felicia; First Semester;'

She looked the rest of the schedule which written as a table. It was, as follows:

Reading –Mrs. Hoofston

Snack Time

Morning Recess

Mathematics –Mrs. Sullee

Special Class**see rotation

Lunch

Evening Recess

Writing –Mrs. Whalo

Assembly and Reflection

Applejack wondered what "Special Class" meant, and what class she would get. Ponies all around her were comparing their schedules, whispering in delight, or whimpering in sorrow. Some just scowled and let out huffy breathes.

"Alright, class, please line up by the door," Mrs. Felicia said. There was an eruption of chairs scooting back, a dull incoherent mix of all the ponies whispering at once, and the shuffling of pony hooves. Applejack made sure she was near Sunburst, and they filed out of the classroom. They walked towards a large circular area that connected many hallways, and stood lined up. Many other classes made lines beside Applejack's class's line. Then a new pony-teacher, went and stood up on a bench.

"Hello, children, can you all see me?" This pony was a bright orange pony, with a puffy and curly red and pink mane. Her eyes were blue, and she looked stern.

"Yes!" the ponies cried.

"Good," she said. "I am Mrs. Hoofston, the Reading teacher, as well as the Team Leader teacher for First Years. We will be taking you to your first class. Please note the hallways on which we take you—it is the shortest route, but not the only one, to get to your class. Please try to remember they way, for convenience for you and us." She paused to let the words sink in a little, then continued. "Line up behind the teacher of your next class! Go!"

Applejack waited as her homeroom ponies spread out, to be replaced by new ponies from other homerooms. Mrs. Hoofston got down from the bench and Applejack made a beeline right towards her. She wanted to be first in line so she could meet Mrs. Hoofston! When she got there, five other ponies had already formed a line, two of them chatting incessantly with the teacher, who seemed to be eyeing them cautiously, if not belittling. She got in the back of the line, and waited for the chaos behind her to settle down, as ponies finally found their classes.

"Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one?" Mrs. Hoofston counted, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "My, what a large class this year! Well, follow me." The ponies followed Mrs. Hoofston through the circular connecter and down a light orange hall. They went into the third classroom on the left, which was a brightly lit room, with walls painted with clouds, rainbows, suns, and birds.

"Welcome to Reading Class, ponies."


End file.
